Convertible bookstack



Auf/n a 8 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 41m-Aula( BY fd A. S. MACDONALD CONVERTIBLE BOOKS-TACK FledJan. 6J

ATroRNEYS lJune 18, 1935.

June 1s, 1935.

A. s. MACDONALD CONVERTIBLE BOOKSTACK 8 sheets-sneet- 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1932 ATTORNEYS A. S. MACDONALD CONVERTIBLE BOOKSTACK June 18, 1935.

Filed Jan. 6, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS June 18,' 1935. A. s. MACDONALD CONVERTIBLE BOOKSTACK gcile Jan. 6, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS June 18 1935- A. s. MACDONALD CONVERTIBLE BOOKSTACK Filed Jan. 6, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 J 4NVENTZR Mlm ATTORNEYS June v18, 1935. A. s. MACDONALD 2,005,434

I CONVERTIBLE BOOKSTACK 4 Filed Jan. 6, `1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 A A I l LA.; l Inj ATTORNEYS June 18, l935 A. s. MACDONALD 4 CONVERTIBLE BooKsTAcK Filed Jan. 6, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 H 'L Hummm ill/#l Tr/tr/ l I if INVENTOR.

wf/WM A TTORNEYS June 18, 1935.

A. S. MACDONALD CONVERTIBLE BOOKSTACK Filed Jan. 6, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 @E =H Q Q7/as@ 5 um? e 's1 e? TVI-VH a Q Q gg@ IQ a 7 Q 1 H E e e a INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES "CONVERTIBLE .PATENT o'F'FlcE BOOKSTACK Angus S. `Macdonald, New York,. N. Y., assignor tovSneadz Company,Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of" New Jersey Applicationianuary lfs, 1932,V serial No. l585,008

S Claims.

In large libraries such as university libraries, lthere is considerable material which is seldom used. .Thegcustomary.arrangement of stacks is `onewhich provides ready access to theshelves .andis/ofnecessity such that the maximum of floor. space cannot be eectively utilized. Hence Vvitiis costly to store inactive books in the usual `form of stacks. To Vmeet this situation I have proposed to provide in addition to the customary fstacks,rolling cases-which will store a larger -number of books for the same oor area occupied. This necessitates a library carrying thercusv.tomary stacksas well as rolling cases.

.According to the` present invention I propose ...to-provide lwhat .f maybe termed `a convertible stack structure in which standard parts'form the bulk of-,the structure Vand can be readily assofciated fwith the-permanent structure of the li- .brary in. endto end relation, to constitute ranges .of-readilyaccessible stacks, andwhich canbereadily converted byzadaptermeans into-Vindi- Vvidual easily movable yunitssuohas rolling cases.

By thisinvention thev general objects `served .by-` thecombination of normallyxed standard stacksand rolling cases are also served, but more .economically and efliciently. In addition, the .arrangement is one which lprovidesmaximum flexibility in meeting all of the requirements as expanding ofthe library occurs.

I accomplish the foregoing :byineans `of=a construction `whichfis illustrated in the preferred forrnin the .accompanying drawings, 'wherein- Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a deck or level of a library illustrating .my improved convertible structure (in .more orv less diagrammatic form 'in side elevation.

Fig. 21is asection taken on the line 2-2-of Fig. -1 and is. partially .broken out.

AFigs. l3, ,4 and 5'are fragmentary vievvsillus- "trating :details of the invention on an enlarged scale.

Fig; 6 is an end elevation ofarolling'case composed in large part of the standard members constituting the bulk of the structureinFigs.- 1y and 2.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the linel--l of Fig. 6.

Fig;'.8 islasidefelevation. of Fig-.6.

aFig..9 .is a fragmentary view,.,on. an enlarged .sscala` illustrating '.a detail of the.'asseniblycoi.` .the

. making ,the conversion.

. tion.

supported thereby.

.ciation ywith the horizontal membersy 9 tying the` :..tionsimay bebolted together by means of bolts" standard parts when converting them into a rolling case.

Figs. 10, 11 land 12 illustrate details of the adapter means employed in making the conversion, Fig. 11 being a section on the line II--II and Fig. l2 being a section on the line l2--I2 of ,Fig 10.

Fig. 13 isa detailed sectional View illustrating how certain of the standard parts are utilized in Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how iloor space is served by conversion.

Fig. `15 is a diagrammatic View correspondin 'to-Fig.` 14 illustrating a modication of the inven- 1 5 Fig. 16 is a similar View illustrating still .an-

vother modification, and

Figs. 17, `18 and 19 are sectional views illustrating .details of the arrangement of Fig. 16.

The inventionl will be rst described when the f `standard parts areutlized in association with `permanent portions of the` library stack supporting structure to constitute the usualY arrangement vof normally fixed readily accessible shelving, reference being had to Figs. .14 and 1 to 5 rilat slab ilooring 1 is preferably employed, such .flooring being supported on what may be termed .thestackcolumns 8 desirably composed of twoangles welded together as shown in Fig. 5. These columns supportvthe flooring and in turn rare The columns are arranged in rowsand in spaced relation such that in asso- 5 columns together, `adequate support for the spans is provided. Thesefmembers 9 are only needed,

lif atl all, longitudinally of tev rows, the flooring cotherwise being able to support the spans v,and

supporting the columns in the other direction. In

.thedrawingsg the spacing isabout 8 by 8'6.

y.Intermediate pairs of columns of a row are the bookstacksections'A, in this case three such .sections Abeing shown in end to end relation, so that thexsections constitute a range of readily `Taking themid'dle section forV purposes of illus- .tration itis composed of two spaced uprights l0, preferably channels, arranged with the webs' out. The legs ofthe channelsare provided with holes I l. to receive. the hooks of the bracket shelves The webs ofthe channels are providedwith holes so that the end channels of adjacent sec- 55 CII CII

I3 as illustrated in Fig. 4. At the ends of the sections adjacent the permanent stack columns 8, the uprights of the sections instead of being composed of one channel-shaped member, are composed of two angles Ill which are detachably bolted to the columns as indicated in Fig. 5. These angles also have holes I I to receive the hooks of the bracket shelves. The uprights intermediate the columns may be providedy with members or clips I 5 for attachment to the members 9 for purposes of aiording rigidity. The same bolts I3 which secure the channels together may be utilized to hold therclips I5. The bolt holes I3' which receive the bolts I3 are preferably elongated for purposes of adjustment. The upper ends of the clips are fastened to the members 9 by such means as a hook bolt I6, and

for purposes of compensation the holes I6 which receive the hook bolts are elongated. Thus variations encountered in the eld can be readily met.

The bracket shelves are preferably of uniform length and the distance between the xed columns is desirably a multiple of the length of the sections in order to utilize effectively the maximum space between columns.

When the parts are thus assembled ranges of normally fixed readily accessible stacks are provided, which stacks are securely but detachably positioned.

If, now, any portion of the stacks is to be converted into readily movable units for use in supporting inactive material, the procedure is as follows: The boltswhich secure the uprights of the sections are removed, as are the hook bolts I6, and the clips are taken off. The uprights I@ are now attached to adapters to constitute a frame of a rolling case. The lower adapter is in the form of a wheeled truck Il shown in Figs. 6, and 8. The end members I8 of this truck are preferably in the form of a plate to which the channels IU are-bolted, the channels being provided with holes for this purpose, which holes may also be utilized to secure the channels back to back as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for example. Ihe upper adapter member consists of the spacing member I8 and the gusset plate I9 as shown in Fig. 8. The holes provided in the channels for the bolts I3 are utilized for bolting the channels to the gusset plates. Thus a rigid frame is provided which carries the shelving I 2 as before, with this distinction-that each pair of uprights with its shelving in association with the adapters constitute an independent readily removable unit or rolling case. These rolling cases are placed in side by side relation instead of end to end relation, and as the distance between columns is preferably a multiple of a section, a muchv larger number of rolling cases can be accommodated in the space formerly occupied by the sections, as shown, for example, in Fig. 14.

In the case of the angles I4 which constitute the uprights of the sections at the ends adjacent the columns, these are used Ato form uprights of the rolling case after the manner shown in Fig. 13. This offsets the shelving slightly but that is of no consequence.

The truck I'I has rollers 20 and 2| on opposite sides arranged at different elevations so that the rollers of one case will not interfere with the rollers of another case. Abutments'Z la are also provided to limit the movement of the rolling cases and a spring catch 2| b is also provided for each case to releasably hold it in position. In order to make the rolling cases track properly, one axle 22 is mounted for adjustment through themedium of elongated holes 23 (see Fig. 10) Thus the standard parts constituting the sections when arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are now utilized in the rolling case, it being only necessary to add the adapter parts.

The distance between columns of a row is also a multiple of the width of the cases so that a relatively large numb-er of the cases can be arranged, when converted to rolling cases, as shown in Fig. 14, for example, back to back, while still leaving aisles and sunicient room to withdraw the cases. The columns act as locaters and if desired may be provided with longitudinal strips 8' extending from column to column of a row, as indicated in Fig. l, for the purpose of limiting the inward movement of the cases and align them particularly with those cases which are not immediately adjacent to the columns.

It will be clear that the rolling cases more effectively utilize the oor area and it is possible, bysuitable arrangement of the columns, to increase the storage capacity of a given area as much as a hundred percent more than that afforded by the fixed stacks which, of course, very materially `cuts down the cost of storage per-'1 volume.

The iiat slab iioor is substantially continuous, i. e., the flooring extends underneath the cases instead of stopping at the edges of the cases, as

no difficulty is encountered in making conversions nor with ventilation which may be of the character described in the aforesaid copending application.

In connection with theforegoing it will be...

appreciated that the absence of heavy beams, co1- umn caps and other means, such as ordinarily required in a. building, is advantageous, not only in that it permits of flexibility of arrangement in conversion, but also in that floor area is effectively utilized. No trouble is also encountered in connection with the rolling cases.

In this connection it is to be observed that at most only horizontal connecting members are required longitudinally of the rows. These afford no interference, and if full height from floor to ceiling is to be utilized, the members 9 may be substantially buried in the floor as indicated in Fig. 3. Also a different form of horizontal member may be employed. The drawings indicate the members 9 as being of channel shape. They may be made of T-shape with the leg depending or of iiat plate.

Similarly, to make the most eifective'use of the oor area, the cases as shown in Fig. l, t aroundthe legs of the column, providing substantially continuous ranges of fixed cases. By making the width of cases correlate with the column spacing, the cases, when converted, fit to provide substantially -continuous ranges. widths certain of the cases may be recessed as shown in Fig. 14 to nest about the columns.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 14, reference will be made to.` the lighting. The lighting sockets will, of course, be located at suitable intervalssay every six feet-in the aisles between the xed readily accessible cases. When conversion is made in some cases the sockets will not be properly located to give eiiective lighting for the rolling cases. To meet this condition the lightsl are removed from the sockets, which latter are preferably flush with the ceiling, and. exible cords 23 are attached, such cords leading from the sockets to such of the rolling cases as are provided With lights 24. The cordsl have slack so. as

In case of different is usually the practice, in consequence of which .egoosgus/i T23 ,ztapermitbfi tnefwithdrawal :ofr the: cases. :#.Not au -:f theilro'lling` c'ases'iare'ssupplied'lvvithflights, but ilonlyi nl'numlber'fsufficient Lto. givefsubstantially 4the `isual-am'mantrof' lighting. l .f y

' *The `'descriptionI thus farhas "been d-irected to newinstallations. Y A"IUnKISig I have more Vorf-less dlagrarnmaticallyillustrated the application of my improvements to an already constructed library where the spacing of the columns has been determined, for example, by the arrangement of windows employed. In this case the rows are too closely spaced together in one direction to permit of the arrangement shown in Fig. 14 and still leave suicient aisle space. I, therefore, convert all of the xed shelving to rolling cases and utilize them on one side of the rows employing shorter sections 25 on the opposite side of a row. This provides suiiicient aisle space and coordinates the converted stack with the window lighting.

In the construction shown in Fig. 16 I have illustrated another modification of the invention where the spacing of the rows of columns is not such as to permit of the arrangement of Fig. 14. The arrangement of Fig. 16, while not as effective as that previously described, nevertheless utilizes floor area. much more effectively than would ordinarily be the case. In this construction the H columns 8a are employed instead of cruciiorm columns and the distance between rows of columns in one direction is such that each row may be provided with the xed readily available shelving as` described, while still leaving adequate aisle space. When converting, however, this spacing is such that the rolling cases cannot be placed end to end along the axis of the rov/s without filling the aisle space. To make a conversion in this instance I arrange the rolling cases between columns and with their1 ends abutting at a line substantially mid-way of the longitudinal axis of a pair of rows of columns, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 16. The width of the cases in this instance is such as to so correlate with the distance between columns that the space between columns may be practically completely occupied and the length of the cases is such that when placed end to end as shown, aisle space will be provided between the ranges of the rolling cases.

The columns in this arrangement are preferably fire-proofed with concrete or the like, and at suitable points the concrete may be omitted and air ducts 26 substituted, these ducts extending vertically along the columns with nozzles 2'! preferably located at the upper end thereof and turned so as to shoot jets of air longitudinally of the aisles. At other points exhaust ducts 28 may be similarly arranged with reference to the column. The arrangements thus described are shown on a large scale in Figs. 17, 18 and 19.

I claim:-

1. In a convertible metallic bookstack, the combination of pairs of uprights each pair having shelf supporting means, and each pair having detachable means whereby they may be associated with permanent library structure to provide ranges of normally fixed stacks and also means adapting them to be attached to a wheeled frame to enable conversion from a fixed stack into a rolling case, said wheeled frame having end members to which said uprights are attached through the medium of said last mentioned means, and said uprights when so attached constituting the uprights of the rolling case, and shelves carried by the uprights.

2. In: a metalzbookstack; pairs of-puprightsand Ldeta'chable vadapter fmeans zhaving (supporting *member-sl and` meansl for. attaching said uprights `to 'said' `members :to -provide individual `readily movable cases, said uprights having shelf sup porting; means,s and alsok having means whereby, .when the .adapter means is `detached, they maybe detachably secured to permanent stack structure to enable conversion of the movable cases into ranges of normally xed stacks, and shelving carried by the uprights.

3. In combination, in a sectional metallic bookstack each section having upright end supports and shelves supported therefrom, detachable means for securing sections to permanent stack structure in end to end relation of the sections, and adapter means having supporting members and means for attaching the upright end supports of a section to said members to convert a section from permanent stack structure into a `readily movablev unit upon removal of the detachable means.`

e. In combination, in a sectional metallic bookstack each section having upright end supports and shelves supported therefrom, bolt holes in each upright whereby the sections may be bolted together in end to end relation for association with permanent stack supporting structure to provide normally fixed ranges, and adapter means having end members provided with bolt holes registering with certain of the bolt holes in the uprights of a section, and bolts for securing said uprights to said end members to convert each section from xed structure into a readily movable unit.

5. In library structure, cases having end uprights, shelving, and means spaced along said uprights for securing the adjacent end uprights of adjacent cases together in end to end alignment to provide readily accessible ranges, and Wheeled trucks having members for attachment of the end uprights of the cases to the trucks to enable conversion of the cases into rolling cases, said uprights being attached at their lower portions to said members through the medium of the lower of said spaced securing means.

6. In a convertible metallic bookstack, the oombination of a stack comprising a pair of end uprights and shelves carried thereby, detachable means for securing said stack to permanent library structure to provide a normally fixed stack, and means for converting said xed stack into a rolling case comprising a wheeled frame having end portions spaced to correspond to the spacing of the end uprights of the stack, and means engaging the lo-wer portions of the end uprights and said end portions of the wheeled frame for attaching said stack to said wheeled frame, said means for securing the stack to permanent library structure being detached upon such conversion.

7. In a convertible metallic bookstack, the combination of a stack comprising a pair of end uprights and shelves carried thereby, detachable means for securing said stack to permanent library structure to provide a normally xed stack resting on the library iloor, and means for oonverting said fixed stack into a rolling case comprising a wheeled frame having end portions spaced to correspond to the spacing of the end uprights of the stack, and means for securing said end uprights to said end portions of the wheeled frame above yet in close proximity to the floor, said means for securing the stack to permanent library structure being detached upon such conversion.

end portions spaced to correspond to the spacing of the end uprights of the stack, and means engaging the lower portions of the end uprights and said end portions of the wheeled frame at vertically spaced points whereby to attach said ,n

stack to said Wheeled frame with rigidity.

AN GUS S. MACDONALD. 

